Apple picking guide is something that is important for you to understand in picking apples from the tree. This is useful for preventing damage to apples and their stems or your apple plant. If in the previous article we learned about how to choose fresh apples in the market, now we will learn again, but about how to harvest apples or pick fresh fruit directly from the tree.
Maximize your apple harvest this year by knowing and learning the correct way to pick apples. In the right way, you can prevent damage to apples so that all your apples will be able to be utilized and free from damage. If the method of picking apples is not correct, a lot of fruit will be wasted because it is damaged and this will harm you as an apple farmer. You should be able to get the maximum profit, but in the wrong way when harvesting, your income will decrease.
How to Pick Apples The Correct Way
Here, we will learn well how to pick apples from the stem, of course in the right way as has been practiced by experienced gardeners.
The air is cool, the leaves fall in their colors, the grass is dewy, and the days are shorter are signs that autumn has arrived. There is nothing more interesting to us farmers than picking apples in orchards. This is a happy time for apple growers. Picking apples from the tree is a joy for the villagers, it’s apple party time!
Now it’s time to take the basket and go to the garden and pick the apples that have been waiting for the harvest. However, as a knowledgeable apple farmer, picking apples is not something that can be done arbitrarily. There is a correct way to pick apples that you must master so that the apple plants are not damaged and the fruit is also safe. You may not pick like you can, picking right, left and tugging from apple branches or using wood to pick up fruit. This is the wrong thing for you to do and can cause your apple harvest to decrease in the next year.
So that your apple harvest is maximized and does not cause damaged apple stems or damaged fruit, you must learn how to pick apples properly so that next year’s apple harvest remains optimal. Maybe the few tips and apple picking guides we share can be useful!
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1. Twist the apple instead of pulling it
Usually people pick apples by holding on to the fruit and pulling as hard as possible until it comes off the stem. This is the wrong way to pick apples as it can damage the apple branches and cause unwanted fruit to drop.
When we pay attention, apples do not grow on the main stem which may be sturdy, but apples grow on small branches called spurs. If you pull the apple (not twist it), then the spur branches sometimes fall off and break. This spur branch is where the apples appear, if you pull the apple and cause this branch to fall off then you have removed the very valuable fruit-producing branch on your apple trunk. So, the correct way to pick an apple is to hold it and twist it until it comes off.
Well, by twisting like this, it will not cause damage to the spur branches which are very important for your plants to produce lots of fruit. Plucking in a twist is a safe way and does not cause any damage to your apple plants and can give the apple tree a chance to return to producing lots of fruit in the years to come.
2. Don’t use apple pickers
Using an apple picker is a favorite of some people because it can reach the highest apples easily. In fact, without realizing this can damage the spur branch because the farther the reach, the less control we have on the apple. So, the potential for damaging the branch spurs is great if you use an apple picker.
Well, instead you can use a ladder to reach a tall apple. With a ladder, you can still pick like you’d pick a low apple, with good control and you can spin the apple flawlessly.
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3. Hold the apple with the palm of your hand
When you pick apples with your hands, use your palms to hold the apples, not using your fingers to twist but your palms. Finger gripping is like picking apples, which can damage and bruise apples. Once bruised, your apples quickly spoil and rot.
If you hold it in the palm of your hand, it will provide a soft and perfect grip that will prevent damage or bruising to the apple.
4. Choose only ripe apples
Picking apples should also pay attention to whether the apple is ripe yet. Unripe apples certainly have a bad taste and are not ready to be picked. Even if you pluck it in a twisting manner, it will be difficult to get out of the spur branch. If you turn and find an apple that is hard to peel off, it may not be ripe. So, one sign that an apple is ripe is that it is easy to come off when you twist it. However, this is not an absolute indication because it could be the other way around.
The best way to tell if an apple is ripe or not is to eat one of them. Try taking one from the tree and splitting it, see if the seeds are brown (chocolate seeds indicate the apple is ripe) or not. If it is brown, then you can pick it and the same goes for other fruits, usually it will be the same. You don’t need to open all the fruit, it’s enough to just open one or two apples and this is representative of knowing the ripeness of other fruits.
Also see: Mammee Apple Facts and Health Benefits
5. Don’t drop the apple in your basket
After picking, are you can drop it directly into the basket as we see on many Instagrams. No, apples should not be dropped just like that because it can cause fruit damage and bruising. Once bruised then the apple will be damaged quickly even not last for tomorrow.
You certainly do not want to lose with your harvest. So, be careful when picking apples. After you twist the apple and remove it from the spur branch, then you carefully place it into the fruit basket. Keep your apples from bumping into each other when you put them in the fruit basket.
Well, those are some guidelines and how to pick apples properly from the tree. By mastering these harvesting techniques, you are ready to pick your apples this fall. Bring a basket of apples and pick your apples carefully one by one. Care for your plant by not destroying it so it will give you more fruit next year. Happy gardening!
